US2989807A - Finger knife and pencil - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1961 A. N. FLORENCE FINGER KNIFE AND PENCIL Filed Azig. 28, 19s? INVENTOR. Albert N. Florence ZZJJ M ATTORNEY 2,989,807 FINGER KNIFE AND PENCIL Albert N. Florence, 3694 Broadway, New York, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 680,698 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-451) This invention relates to a finger knife'and pencil.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a pencil which can be fitted and. carried upon the finger of the hand so as to'leave the hand free for other use whereby the pencil point can be available and ready for immediate use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a finger pencil adapted for useby shipping clerks.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a finger pencil in which the sleeve that supports the pencil that is adapted to be placed over the finger has sufficient gripping action upon the finger so that the finger upon being fully inserted therein can hold abiased retractable pencil point in its extended and use position from the forward end thereof but is retractable for protection of the point when the pencil is removed from the finger.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a finger pencil formed of a flexible sleeve which as well as having the pencil thereon also has a cutting blade that can be brought into a cutting position by merely curling the finger and which is automatically retractable upon straightening the finger to the Writing position.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a finger pencil, having the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, of pleasing appearance, light in weight, efficient and automatic in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the pencil according to one form of the invention with the pencil point extended and being put to use to write upon a package,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the finger pencil flexed by the finger to extend the cutting blade and the blade being applied to a cord to sever it,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the finger pencil with illustration made in dash lines as to the manner in which the cutting blade is extended,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pencil showing the finger engaging with the retractable pencil point to extend it,

FIG. 5 is a similar longitudinal sectional view with the finger removed from the pencil point and the pencil point retracted,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a modified form of the invention with portions broken away to show theinterior construction thereof,

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the finger extended into the finger pencil and depressing the pencil point for use, and

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 to 6, 10 generally represents the finger pencil and sleeve of flexible material such as rubber, open at the rear end and adapted to receive the forefinger of a hand and sufliciently long to cover the two knuckles thereof and sufliciently flexible to permit the curling of the finger. On the outer end of the sleeve is an integral solid ringformation that serves as an eraser. This erasing formation'also serves as a guard to give some protectionto the retractable pencil device ice Patented June 27, p 1 961 12 which is forced outwardly through the end of the sleeve and erasure formation 11. The pencil device has a point 13 and a pressure plate 14 that is engaged by the end of the forefinger when the sleeve is placed thereover I vided a handy finger pencilin which the pencil point is. 1"

to extend the pencil device from the endof the sleeve against'the action of compression or return springl5,

from a retracted position shown in FIG. 5 to a position shown in FIG. 4 and over aholding shoulder 14'. The friction or tightness of the sleeve upon the finger is 'sufficient to maintain the sleeve upon the finger even against the action of the spring l5 but'theshoulder wi11 relieve the sleeve of some ofthe tightness or friction necessary to hold it on'the finger. The sleeve is preferably of elastic rubber material so that it is not removable therefrom except by pulling or skinning it"fr'om the finger. As the sleeve 10 is flexed by the finger, it will accumulate under the second knuckle as indicated at 16. A full flexing of the sleeve when the finger is fully extended thereinto will cause a portion 17 on the top of the portions 19 and 20 so that it can be extended in the man-' ner shown in FIG. 2 to effect the cutting in the manner illustrated of a tie cord T that may surround a package P of FIG. 1. blade will automatically fall back into the space between the guard portions 19 and 20. Thus, it will be seen that not only can the pencil be used for writing, erasing but also forv cutting, so as to thereby render it particularly adapted for use in shipping departments or stores where the user is continually wrapping, tieing and addressing parcels. 1

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 7 to 10, showing a modified form of the invention, 25 represents a flexible sleeve adapted to be fitted tightly over the forefinger in the same manner as above described with reference to the first form of the invention. enlarged integral end 26 serving as erasing material and in the end face of which a retaining sleeve 27 for a crayon 28 is tight fitted but which can be removed for replacement with another crayon. In the lower portion of the thickened portion, there is extended a pencil device 29 having a pencil point 30. The sleeve is weakened on the opposite sides thereof at 31' to provide a depressible portion 31 carrying the pencil device 29. This poition'of chance of breakage to the pencil point 30 butwhen desired to make use of the pencil point 30, the outer end of the'finger is curled within the sleeve so astodepress a pressure plate surface 32 so as to cause the pencil 7 29 audits .point 30 to be extended downwardly andbutwardly as shown" in FIGS. 9 and 10 to make better its 1 use for writing andmore free of 'the crayon 28. As the pressure of the end of the finger is eliminated the pencil 29 will be'retracted by virtue of the return action pf,

the weakened sleeve and-eraser material at 31.'

Secured to a rigid projection 33 on theupper partof the sleeve 25' and adjacent its open end thereof by means of pins 34 is a cutting blade 35, the pointed end of which may normally lie within a slotted guard portion 36. As the finger is curled or flexed in the manner illustrated in 5 FIGS. 2' and 3 the slotted guard portion 36 is drawn away from the end of the blade'35 to expose the sharp ened under edge thereof to render it accessible for cut-1; ting action. As the finger is straightened theguard will be returned to the bladeso that the'bladewill again be protected. It should now be apparent that there has, been proa As the finger is again extended the cutting- This sleeve 25 has an retractable at times when not in use and to allow for the free use of the sleeve for erasing and cutting with the knife blade and to protect the pencil point when the finger pencil is removed from the finger. a

While various changes may be'made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A finger knife comprising a flexible elasticsleeve adapted to tightly fit around the forefinger, said sleeve being'of sutficient length to extend upwardly well beyond the second knuckle of the forefinger, one end of a cutting blade secured to the outside surface of the up per part of said sleeve and adapted under the action of the flexing and curling of the finger downwardly to have its cutting edge exposed and made ready for use for cutting action, and a sheath for the blade mounted on the outside surface of said sleeve to receive the blade when said sleeve is unfiexed and comprising a pair of spaced and parallel guard portions to receive the blade therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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